Albertans may pay high cost for cheaper generic drugs

English: Close-up of 0.5mg tablets of the brand name benzodiazepine drug, Ativan. Generic name is Lorazepam. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Featured letter: Albertans may pay high cost for cheaper generic drugs:

Ontario did it first. Alberta followed suit, outdoing Ontario. Reducing generic drug reimbursement prices. Government paid advertisements (how much is that costing taxpayers? Actually just found out - $400,000!) would have you believe this is saving Alberta over $90 million big ones. The ramifications will be much more severe, more than what the government will let you know, maybe more than they fathomed.

Excerpt from featured Edmonton Journal letter:

"Beginning May 1, the Alberta government will force generic drug manufacturers to sell their products at 18 per cent of the price brand name drugs are sold at, compared with the current 35 per cent. 

Hypothetically, if a bottle of Druggin costs $100, its generic equivalent Drugsler must be sold at $18, decreasing the generic drug manufacturer’s profit by $17 per bottle. 

As profits decrease, the large generic drug manufacturers will react in two ways. 

First, they will reduce or eliminate the rebates they pay to pharmacies for using their products. Pharmacies will, in turn, be forced to reduce their hours and their staff, even though the demand for pharmacists’ services will increase as baby boomers grow old and require more medication. 

Second, generic drug manufacturers will reduce the supply of generic medications in Alberta."

Read the full article at The Edmonton Journal.

Support your pharmacists (and find out more) here.

Link: http://supportmypharmacy.ca/

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TYKERB (lapatinib ditosylate) - Updated Information on Efficacy (Health Canada)

HER-2 Breast Cancer http://goo.gl/LwBZB (Photo credit: TipsTimes)

TYKERB (lapatinib ditosylate) - Updated Information on Efficacy - For Health Professionals - Recalls & alerts - Healthy Canadians Website: 

Note that this was previously highlighted in June of 2012 at ASCO in Chicago:

"In his discussion, Gunter von Minckwitz, MD, PhD, of the German Breast Group and the University of Frankfurt, Germany, said there is increasing evidence that lapatinib is not as active as trastuzumab in a number of breast cancer therapy settings, perhaps because of the rapid development of secondary resistance and because dual blockade appears to be the most promising approach for the future."

It often takes time, but Health Canada has now made notice of updated prescribing information.

Excerpt from Health Canada update via GlaxoSmithKline Inc:

"Subject: Updated Information on Efficacy - TYKERB® (lapatinib ditosylate)-based regimens are less effective than HERCEPTIN®(trastuzumab)-based regimens in certain settings:

Based on the results of preplanned interim analyses of two studies, GlaxoSmithKline would like to advise you of the following:

• In patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer who have not received prior trastuzumab, comparative data have shown that lapatinib-based regimens are less effective than trastuzumab based treatment regimens.

• Prescribers are reminded that TYKERB^® should not be prescribed in combination with capecitabine unless patients have progressed on prior trastuzumab therapy in the metastatic setting.

• GlaxoSmithKline has updated the TYKERB^® Product Monograph to include a statement that lapatinib-based regimens are less effective than trastuzumab-based regimens in certain settings.

CEREBEL(EGF111438) (N=540) is a randomised Phase III study comparing the effect of  lapatinib in combination with capecitabine relative to trastuzumab in combination with capecitabine on the incidence of CNS as site of first relapse in women with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer. Patients were stratified based on prior trastuzumab treatment (yes versus no) and number of prior treatments for metastatic disease (0 versus ≥1 line). The study was stopped early due to results of a pre-planned interim analysis (N=475). There was superior efficacy with the trastuzumab plus capecitabine combination in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to the lapatinib plus capecitabine combination. Median PFS was 6.60 months in the lapatinib-containing arm compared with 8.05 months in the trastuzumab-containing arm (HR=1.30; 95%CI 1.04 to 1.64).  The median OS was 22.7 months in the lapatinib-containing arm compared with 27.3 months in the trastuzumab-containing arm (HR=1.34 (95%CI 0.95 to 1.90).

COMPLETE is a randomised Phase III study (EGF108919) (N=636) comparing the activity of lapatinib plus taxane followed by lapatinib alone versus trastuzumab plus taxane followed by trastuzumab alone as first line therapy for women with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer. The study was stopped early due to superior efficacy of the trastuzumab plus taxane combination in terms of progression-free survival.  Results from a pre-planned interim analysis showed that  the PFS in the lapatinib-containing arm was lower than in the trastuzumab-containing arm (median PFS was 8.8 months in the lapatinib-containing arm compared with 11.4 months in the trastuzumab-containing arm; HR=1.33; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.67, p=0.01).  The hazard ratio for OS was 1.1 (95% CI 0.75 to 1.61; p=0.62), based on 18% (n=115) deaths."

The revised Product Monograph for TYKERB^® may be accessed on the Health Canada Website or on the Canadian Website of GlaxoSmithKline.

*Click here for link to full Health Canada release information.

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The Rare Disease Search Engine That Outperforms Google | MIT Technology Review

Logo of Office of Rare Diseases, part of United States National Institutes of Health. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Rare Disease Search Engine That Outperforms Google | MIT Technology Review: 


Exerpt:

"The problem (using google to search for rare diseases), of course, is that  common-or-garden search engines are not optimised for this process. Google, for example, considers pages important if they are linked to by other important pages, the basis of its famous PageRank algorithm. However, rare diseases by definition are unlikely to have a high profile on the web. What’s more, searches are likely to be plagued with returns from all sorts of irrelevant sources.

Although still a research project, Dragusin and co have made their rare disease search engine publicly available at www.findzebra.com. This could clearly become a valuable tool for the medical community.

What is less clear, however, is how this tool will be used by the general public. The site comes with the forlorn message: “Warning! FindZebra is a research project and it is to be used only by medical professionals” ."

Read the full article here.

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Cancer Rates in Canada: National Post Infographic

Cancer rates in Canada: Graphic | Graphics | News | National Post:

"Cancer killed 74,529 Canadians in 2009, making it the country’s top cause of death. With this in mind, the National Post’s Richard Johnson breaks down which cancers are killing us."

Click here to see NP's infographic regarding cancer numbers in Canada.

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Expert Explains How DNA Testing is Revolutionizing the Search for Family Roots, Ethnic Ancestry, and Genetic Health Information

Animation of the structure of a section of DNA. The bases lie horizontally between the two spiraling strands. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Your genetic health may be vitally important as you can inherit and develop hereditary illnesses. If you get married, there is also a genetic risk that you may pass certain health problems on to your children.

You may want to know more about your ethnic background and your ancestors. Would you be surprised to find out the real mix of European, Asian, and African ancestry? Would you want to know if there was a Native American or Ashkenazi Jewish ancestor in your bloodline?

Richard Hill author of the book Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA, explains what the newest breakthroughs in DNA testing mean to people who want to gain from the knowledge of their family origins.

DNA Testing Breakthroughs Offer New Insights and Answers

The technology breakthroughs over past few years have resulted in DNA tests that are now readily available to answer all these questions and more.

A new science called genetic genealogy uses a variety of DNA tests to expand our knowledge of family trees. Instead of stopping when the paper trail runs out, genealogists and others are using individual test results and the vast and ever expanding databases of DNA results and online family trees to uncover previously unknown cousins and identify and confirm our common ancestors.

Adopted at birth, Mr. Hill was one of the first adoptees to use these tests to learn the truth about his own beginnings and reunite with his first family. However, there’s a revolution going on as countless people analyze their ancestral composition.

Direct-to-consumer tests are now quite inexpensive (currently $99 to $289) and allow you to collect your DNA sample in the privacy of your home.  The sampling process itself is painless – you either brush the inside your cheek or spit some saliva into a tube.

23andMe  www.23andme.com offers just one test, which includes a matching feature called Relative Finder. This test also includes a report on your genetic health traits.

DNA Test Comparisons Open Up the Door to Understanding

While many basic questions are answered by testing the DNA of just one person, the best results are often revealed by comparing the test results that that of another person and to the genetic data and information being compiled and stored in various databases.

• Finding biological relatives is achieved by comparing your DNA to all the individuals who took the same type of test.

• Information about your ethnicity comes from comparing your DNA to dozens of scientifically accepted population studies.

• Genetic health issues are ascertained by comparing your DNA against the findings of medical research. You can see how your risk for a particular condition compares to the average person of your age and background, the carrier status for diseases that could impact your descendants, and even your likely response to certain drugs.

Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA

Richard Hill

List $15.00

Trade paperback 260 pages Also available in Kindle edition

ISBN-10: 1475190832  ISBN-13: 978-1475190830

Available in bookstores nationwide and online.

For more information visit www.DNA-Testing-Adviser.com

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Addition of Immunotherapy Prolongs Survival in Kidney Cancer

Addition of Immunotherapy Prolongs Survival in Kidney Cancer: 

Excerpt:

"Fully Personalized Immunotherapy

AGS-003 is produced by extracting messenger RNA from a sample of a patient's tumor (obtained at the time of nephrectomy) and incorporating it into the patient's dendritic cells (obtained during a single leukapheresis procedure). This is a fully personalized immunotherapy, Dr. Amin told Medscape Medical News."

***
"Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors such as sunitinib have "revolutionized the treatment of kidney cancer; now everybody can get a drug treatment," he said. However, although they do prolong survival, the responses are not durable.

In this trial, Dr. Amin and colleagues have shown that adding immunotherapy to standard therapy increases the durability of the response, and AGS-003 is not associated with any toxic events, other than injection-site reactions and erythema, he said."

*Read full article at Medscape.

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Ty Ulmer: Making the Biggest Save of His Life

The Hockey Writers' Shawn Reznik with an inspirational story of Ty Ulmer, who picked up hockey after battling osteosarcoma.

Excerpt:

Wise Beyond His Years

“I look at life much differently than I used to,” stated Ulmer.  ”Going through something like cancer treatment will do that to a person.  I live my day-to-day life like everyone else should…day by day.  Take every day with a grain of salt and what happens, happens.”

So you’re probably wondering how Ty is doing up to this point in his life.  Well…so far so good!

“Everything has been going smoothly.  My recent set of post-treatment scans were all clear.  No sign of recurrence in the disease.  I am now, currently, 4 years cancer free,” the upbeat 17-year old said.

The reason he is still cancer free is because he never stopped pressing on against the uphill battle.

“I didn’t give up because I wasn’t just fighting for myself.  I was fighting for my family and friends.  I was fighting for all the kids who had also battled cancer alongside me, and for those who lost their battle, as well.  I’ll never give up on anything that will not give up on me.”

We all look up to superstars, celebrities, musicians, athletes, the whole gamut.  Ty’s role models and support group are the ones who have been by his side through the cancer, the amputation, the chemo, the good news, the bad news, and just about everything else he’s experienced.

“My Dad for having been in the Air Force for 21 years, numerous deployments, missing countless things like birthdays, holidays and milestones in our family, and yet still keeping a positive attitude and making me feel loved.  I am amazed by his courage and I am honored to call him my father.

My Mom for understanding the choices I’ve made, supporting me in those choices, putting up with me, and always being there for me after it all.  For staying strong when my Dad was deployed, and keeping me in good spirits.  I am amazed by her strength and I am very thankful that she is my mother.

My Brother for being the role model he has been throughout my life, always being someone to look up to, for moving back home when he heard I was diagnosed, and helping me with going through all that I have. Always being able to cheer me up if I was feeling depressed.

I couldn’t be happier with the family I have, as they are my true role models.”

There are many people in similar situations as Ty Ulmer, who never get the opportunity he’s been given.  He’s able to play the game that has brought him so much joy.  He’s been given a second chance – of which he never takes for granted.  He’s been supported by friends and family members unconditionally.  He’s experienced things in 17 years of life that people wish they never experience at all.  And still, he remains a humble kid from Meridian, Idaho.

“I decided to play [hockey] because I have a passion for the sport that not everyone has.  I’d enjoy nothing more than to play in goal on any team – beer league or higher.  You don’t have to pay me to play, I just love the game.  I want to play because it’s something that not everyone can do, and I want to show that even the difficult things in life are worth the fight,” Ulmer stressed.

In terms of sport, his goal is quite simple: “to be able to play hockey, and teach others to play hockey (be it kids, teens, adults, or disabled).”

His message to the kid’s in the same position as he once was: “As cliché as it might sound, just don’t give up and keep your head up.  You are lucky enough to have your life, where as not everyone else is.  Life is a gift that you have been given, a gift that isn’t returnable, it is yours to keep, so live it as best as you can, and keep your spirits up.”

The kid has been through it all.  He’s visited the depths of hell and came out clean on the other side.  Cancer carved away at his body like a freshly cut pair of skates against a perfect sheet of ice.  Each slice left an indelible mark on his character, fortitude, and and will power.  Be that as it may, there is only one key point to take out of this piece.

Ty concluded, “Anything, no matter how hard it might be, is possible.  It might take a while to get there, and it might not be the easiest thing in the world, but in the end, it is worth it.”

*Read the full inspirational story at The Hockey Writers. 

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